Do You “Get It”

Posted on: December 25, 2012

I approached a well-kept, quaint, cottage-style house in an older neighborhood to pick-up a Christmas gift for my wife. It was in one of those well-located, older neighborhoods where many of the original houses had been torn-down to make way for monster houses that would maximize the value of the land it sat upon.

In the backyard of the cottage was a jewelry studio converted from what looked like the original garage. The woman I met there told me her story. She explained that she made the jewelry for herself, not for others. Also, many had asked her to mass-produce, hire sales reps and go to the many gift shows in the city. She said that was “not her” and she preferred to personalize each piece of jewelry by selling it herself and spending some time with each client. Lastly, she worked until 3 p.m. everyday and spent the rest of the day with her family.

This experience impacted me “real time.” I realized I was learning something very important as it was occurring. I have not had too many of these experiences. Usually, I do not realize what I learned until afterward. It was as if everything slowed-down and I was watching myself interact with this woman like watching a movie.

It affirmed to me that once we discover our highest purpose, we have to be true to ourselves and pursue that purpose in a way that works for us. Also, balance is a discipline that comes easier if we can achieve the first two ideals.